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25 May 2018 5:57:13am

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The history of single mothers and the background of the fight to acknowledge single mothers and their children has been documented in the history 'Single but Not Alone: the first 40 years of the Council of Single Mothers and Their Children' (recently released: by Deanne Carson and Fiona Hendry). Marie Coleman was indeed a key figure lobbying for change to take place in legislation to improve the status of single mothers and their children. Not only did single motherhood carry a 'stigma', the children of single mothers had no right to inherit under previous legislation (prior to the 1970s). The children - as non-citizens - were legally termed 'bastards' and were considered of different (lower) social standing simply by way of birth... This federal apology comes finally as a result of a complex and sordid history - of the stigma faced by women becoming pregnant outside of marriage, and the institutions that supported and condoned the removal of babies, often without the mother's consent. To access a copy of the history of CSMC - go to www.trybooking.com.au/CATE

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